Eco-App Developers Get Easier Access to Government Energy Data

Hoping to spark a boom in eco-apps, the U.S. Department of Energy 's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) launched a new website to make it easier for developers to access its vast stockpile of data. The research center has just released its first data set, detailing the nation's network of alternative vehicle fueling stations, such as those offering biodiesel or natural gas. Developers can use the data to develop web and mobile applications and tools. Soon, they will also be able to access information on AFV and electric vehicle laws and incentives, wind power and solar energy. The move is a response to the hundreds of requests the agency receives every year, NREL project manager Johanna Levene said in a statement. "In the vast majority of cases, we've been happy to provide it, but the person on the other end has had to go to the trouble of finding the right person...